Indigenous Microbiota and Habitat Influence Escherichia coli Survival More than Sunlight in Simulated Aquatic Environments

Abstract

The reported fate of Escherichia coli in the environment ranges from extended persistence to rapid decline. Incomplete understanding of factors that influence survival hinders risk assessment and modeling of the fate of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and pathogens. FIB persistence in subtropical aquatic environments was explored in outdoor mesocosms inoculated with five E. coli strains. The manipulated environmental factors were (i) presence or absence of indigenous microbiota (attained by natural, disinfected, and cycloheximide treatments), (ii) freshwater versus seawater, and (iii) water column versus sediment matrices. When indigenous microbes were removed (disinfected), E. coli concentrations decreased little despite exposure to sunlight. Conversely, under conditions that included the indigenous microbiota (natural), significantly greater declines in E. coli occurred regardless of the habitat. The presence of indigenous microbiota and matrix significantly influenced E. coli decline, but their relative importance differed in freshwater versus seawater. Cycloheximide, which inhibits protein synthesis in eukaryotes, significantly diminished the magnitude of E. coli decline in water but not in sediments. The inactivation of protozoa and bacterial competitors (disinfected) caused a greater decline in E. coli than cycloheximide alone in water and sediments. These results indicate that the autochthonous microbiota are an important contributor to the decline of E. coli in fresh and seawater subtropical systems, but their relative contribution is habitat dependent. This work advances our understanding of how interactions with autochthonous microbiota influence the fate of E. coli in aquatic environments and provides the framework for studies of the ecology of enteric pathogens and other allochthonous bacteria in similar environments.